as in capabilities
the physical or mental power to do something
as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk
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Recent Examples of abilities
Classes are accessible to all levels and abilities.
—
Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Preliminary results suggest that this type of radiation may impair cognitive abilities, but the actual effects on people are unknown.
—Scott Solomon, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
The observed activity could instead reflect internal neural processes, such as refinement of camouflage abilities.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
The observed activity could instead reflect internal neural processes such as refinement of camouflage abilities.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Delane allowed just 14 receptions for 165 yards in his senior season and has adept abilities playing in a man or zone scheme.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
Predictably, our children will develop deeper critical-thinking and independent-reasoning abilities.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
How a mayor goes about hiring and firing says much about his or her managerial style and abilities.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
The most famous contributor to this scientific history is Charles Darwin, best known for his theory of evolution by means of natural selection, less known for his work on the climbing abilities of plants.
—Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026
Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Preliminary results suggest that this type of radiation may impair cognitive abilities, but the actual effects on people are unknown.
—Scott Solomon, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
The observed activity could instead reflect internal neural processes, such as refinement of camouflage abilities.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
The observed activity could instead reflect internal neural processes such as refinement of camouflage abilities.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Delane allowed just 14 receptions for 165 yards in his senior season and has adept abilities playing in a man or zone scheme.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
Predictably, our children will develop deeper critical-thinking and independent-reasoning abilities.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
How a mayor goes about hiring and firing says much about his or her managerial style and abilities.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
The most famous contributor to this scientific history is Charles Darwin, best known for his theory of evolution by means of natural selection, less known for his work on the climbing abilities of plants.
—Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities
Noun
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Iran’s military is suffering serious losses, and both its offensive and defensive capabilities will require a massive influx of resources to rebuild.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Mar. 2026
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The upgrade is seen as a key step in enhancing Japan’s maritime strike and deterrence capabilities.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Numbers or quantities in units don’t correspond to capacities of planes.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
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Developed by researchers at the University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), the novel lithium-ion battery anode delivers some of the highest energy storage capacities reported for silicon–carbon nanotube systems, while maintaining stability over hundreds of charge cycles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Are there skills from your documentary background that translated to this project?—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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The piece stresses that these skills must be explicitly taught rather than assumed.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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With Cloutier’s transfer to JSerra, two Fort Worth-area quarterbacks have now taken their talents west.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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Follow curiosity, and let your talents breathe.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Strange occurrences quickly destabilize the group, with the writer becoming increasingly unhinged, convinced the location has an inexplicable hold over her creative faculties.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
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Around the same time, leaders at KPMG Peat Marwick Foundation and Citibank launched a series of meetings with other corporate and academic leaders to address diversifying business school faculties.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
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More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Strengthening these competencies is associated with lower rates of aggression.—
Beverly Kingston,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
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During the event, students are tested on real-world HVAC competencies, including system diagnostics, electrical components, safety practices, and installation standards.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abilities. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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